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Hangaroa Easter Island Cruise Port Guide
Location:
Easter Island is an anchorage or drifting port. Transportation from the ship to shore will be via the ship's tender service. The distance to the center of Hanga Roa, the island’s small capital, is approximately 1.5 miles (2.5 km). Taxis are generally available and charge a flat rate to Hanga Roa.
Rough seas often prevent tender boat service and shore visits.
Printable map to take along.
Cruise calendar for this port.
Watch a destination video.
Live Nautical Chart with Wikipedia Markers
Monthly Climate Averages for Hangaroa Easter Island
Sightseeing:
Easter Island is an island in the south Pacific Ocean. It got its name because the first European to record it, Dutch Admiral Jacob Roggeveen, arrived on Easter Sunday, 1722. Its name is Isla de Pascua in Spanish, which translates directly as Easter Island. To the islanders, Easter Island is called Rapa Nui.
Easter Island is most famous for the stone statues, called moai,
which dot its coastline. These statues have earned Easter Island
recognition as a World Heritage Site. The moais were carved from
compressed volcanic ash. All are monolithic, that is to say, carved
from a single piece of stone. The largest standing moai is Paro.
It is almost 10 meters (33feet) high, and weighs 75 imperial tonnes
(83 American tons). Archaeologists have also discovered an even
larger, but unfinished moai in the quarry - it is 21 meters (69
ft) and would have weighed 270 tons if completed.
95% of the moai came from the quarry of Rano Raraku, a volcanic
crater on Easter Island. 397 moai statues have been counted to
have been quarried from the interior and exterior slopes as well
as in the exterior quarries. Work is still being conducted to
inventory the statues quarried from the interior quarries. The
use of Rano Raraku to sculpture the moais is believed to have lasted
500 to 1000 years, right till after the European discovery of Easter
Island in 1722.
Tours Excursions Transportation:
The small town of Hanga Roa can be explored on foot.
Entrance to the Rapa Nui National Park is $85
More than a hundred taxis ply the village, making it easy to get around for those without a vehicle. Islanders have taken to calling a taxi and ordering some bread from a bakery; the taxi driver thus acts as a delivery service.
You don't need a tour company. The island is very small, there are few roads and the simplest way to see the sights is to get a map, hire a car and just tootle around yourself at your own speed. Sharing a taxi is another good option.
Many visitors rent mountain bikes, about 15 usd/day. Take some water with you.
It pays to compare your cruise line shore excursions here.
Nearby Places:
Go diving or snorkeling near the isles of Motu Nui and Moto Iti. These are the islands south of the main Easter Island, and it was from here that the "Bird Man Culture" developed
Shopping and Food
Stamp collectors will love the postage stamps featuring the famous moai.
Currency:
Chilean Peso, USD and Euro's widely accepted.
Communication:
There are a bunch of Internet cafe's in town.
Opening Hours and Holidays:
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